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Iranian Troops 'In Syria' For Aleppo Offensive

Iranian Troops 'In Syria' For Aleppo Offensive

Thousands of Iranian troops have arrived in Syria to take part in a ground offensive against insurgents around Aleppo, officials said.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the officials told Reuters the Syrian army and forces from Iran and Hezbollah were preparing to launch an attack backed by Russian airstrikes in support of President Bashar al Assad.

The offensive would expand on an offensive launched by the same alliance last week that is targeting rebels further west in Hama.

A large offensive in the area close to the Turkish border is likely to anger Ankara, which is a member of NATO.

Turkey has backed insurgents fighting President Assad and has expressed deep concern about Russian airstrikes that have targeted them.

Control of the city of Aleppo and the surrounding province is split between the Syrian government, a range of insurgent groups battling President Assad, and fighters from Islamic State who control some rural areas close to the city.

"The big battle preparations in that area are clear," one of the officials told Reuters.

"There is a large mobilisation of the Syrian army ... elite Hezbollah fighters, and thousands of Iranians who arrived in stages in recent days."

A second official close to the Syrian government said: "The decision to launch the battle of Aleppo has been taken ... It is no longer hidden that thousands of Iranians are now in Syria and their role is fundamental."

Both of them said the attack would start soon.

A delegation of Iranian politicians arrived in Damascus with the preparations under way.

Alaeddin Boroujerdi, chairman of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said: "The international coalition led by America has failed in the fight against terrorism.

"The co-operation between Syria, Iraq, Iran and Russia has been positive and successful."

On Friday, it emerged a general in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, Hossein Hamedani, was killed in Aleppo province while advising the Syrian army.

The government controls western areas of Aleppo city, and an array of insurgent groups control the east.

Islamic State and other insurgents, including groups backed by President Assad's foreign enemies, have been fighting each other north of the city.

The north of the province is one area where the US-led coalition bombing IS in Syria has been active.

Russia says its airstrikes in the country, which began on 30 September, are aimed at Islamic State , although many of the strikes have been in areas held by other rebel groups including some that have received backing from President Assad's foreign opponents.